Your life may be easier, more pleasant, and more convenient with the help of smart home technologies. With your voice, a smartphone, or automation, you can operate your lights, thermostat, security cameras, door locks, and other appliances. But there are hazards associated with smart home technologies as well. Hackers may attempt to get access to your devices, data, or network in order to hurt or trouble you.They can spy on you, steal your information, or take over your devices. How can you prevent that from happening? Here are some tips to keep your smart home safe from hacking.
Choose your devices wisely
Not every smart home appliance is made equally. Certain might have more robust security measures than others. Do your homework and study reviews from reliable sources before purchasing a smart device. Seek for gadgets with frequent updates, authentication, and encryption. Steer clear of gadgets with low ratings or known vulnerabilities.
Change the default username and password
Default usernames and passwords for many smart home devices are simple to decipher or discover online. These credentials give hackers access to your devices so they can alter their settings. You should use a strong, unique password in place of the default username to avoid that.Use a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols that are hard to crack. You can also use a password manager to generate and store your passwords securely. Don’t use the same password for multiple devices or accounts.
Use two-factor authentication to protect your smart home from hackers
Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a security feature that adds an extra layer of protection to your online accounts. It requires you to enter a code or a confirmation from another device or app after you enter your password.This prevents someone from accessing your account without the second factor, even if they know your password. 2FA is a feature that many smart home platforms and apps offer. It’s best to turn it on whenever you can.
Avoid public Wi-Fi for remote access
Many times, public Wi-Fi networks are unprotected and open to hackers. If you access your smart home devices or apps over public Wi-Fi, you run the risk of giving hackers access to your passwords or data. They have the ability to snoop on your online activity, alter your requests or send you to dangerous websites. When using a mobile internet connection or a secure Wi-Fi network to remotely control your smart home, you should steer clear of that. In order to conceal your online activities and encrypt your traffic, you can also utilize a virtual private network or VPN.
Check app permissions
For access to your device’s storage, contacts, location, camera, microphone, and other features, smart home apps may need a variety of permissions. While the program may require some of these permissions in order to operate effectively, others might be overly intrusive. Only allow the necessary app permissions after carefully reviewing the rest. Additionally, you can modify or withdraw the rights at any moment using the device’s settings. Apps that you don’t use or trust should also be deleted and that could help you protect your smart home from hackers.
Update your software and firmware to protect your smart home
Software and firmware are the programs that run your smart home devices and apps. They may contain bugs or flaws that hackers can exploit to compromise your devices.Updates are frequently released by manufacturers to address these problems and enhance the functionality and security of their goods. The newest updates should always be installed as soon as they become available. If automatic updates are supported by your devices, you can also enable them.You should also check the manufacturer’s website or app for any announcements or alerts about security issues or updates.
